Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad asks devotees not to take out kanwar yatra

PRAYAGRAJ: At a time when the apex court has asked the center not to permit states to take out kanwar yatra and the chief minister Yogi Adityanath seeking opinion of the religious organisations, involved in arranging this yatra, in regards to taking out the yatra or keep the same in abeyance like year, the Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) has asked the devotees not to take out the yatra.
ABAP’s president, Mahant Narendra Giri has said, “On behalf of the Akhara Parishad I would like to appeal to the Shiva devotees not to take out the Kanwar yatra in view of the predicted third wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Rather, the devotees should make Parthiva Shivlinga (Shivalinga made from clay) in their household and offer the water of river Ganga or for that matter even of the local pond of their village to lord Shiva ''
He further said that although the chief minister of the state wants that kanwar yatra should be taken out by following all the laid down Covid-19 protocols but at the same time it is the moral responsibility of the devotees to see that their deeds should not, in any way, enhance the possibility of triggering the third wave of the pandemic. “As such it is advisable that the pujan (prayers) of lord Shiva should be either done through making a Parthiv shivlinga at their respective homes or if at all the devotees decides to visit the neighbouring Shiva temple, they must follow the laid down protocols'', said Giri.
He further said that lives of common man are equally important as are religious practices, thus the best option is like the previous year, we should not take out the yatra this year too.
Agreeing to ABAP’s president, chief patron of Juna Akhara, Mahant Hari Giri said, “Akhara parishad has taken the right decision as while taking out the Kanwar yatra, the religious sentiments are quite high and devotees often forget to keep safe distance between themselves and as such the crowd and groups of devotees can enhance the risk of spreading the virus and unnecessarily invite the third wave”. Rather, praying in the household and pleading to lord Shiva for keeping the nation safe from the pandemic is the need of the hour, he added.